Nathalie
by A Diamond in the Rough
Summary: French girl. Middle earth. She missed the bus...yeah, it's complicated.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, yes, this is a story about a normal girl falling into Middle Earth. Yes, there is romance, and yes, the girl mentioned speaks English and no Sindarin, but English is not her native language *grins wickedly* my french is a bit rusty, I admit it! Haven't lived in Haiti, for, like,more than ten years. Plus my laptop cannot do accent marks...sorry :(**

* * *

It was night in Fangorn forest.

To be honest, this was a thing that Gimli felt only too much, for he tripped over first one tree root and then another, and finally sat down on the ground with a grimace.

"I believe it is time to make camp, Aragorn."

"All right," said Aragorn. "We must rise as early as we can tomorrow, Gimli. What about you, Legolas?"

"I shall rest. I am not tired yet, but rest would not be unwelcome.

The three lay down in a circle, and then were soon fast asleep.

* * *

2. Nathalie

Nathalie Albert was just a regular girl, at first glance. It was true that her eyes had seen more sadness than a girl of seventeen should have.

She was currently fast asleep in bed in her dorm room. Her room-mate was ill and was spending the week at home, so Nathalie had the room to herself, though she missed her room-mate.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Nathalie jolted upright and looked at the clock; seven-thirty.

She sighed and picked up her phone.

"Allo, Nathalie?" (Hello, Nathalie?)

"C'est toi, Philip?" (Is it you, Philip?)

"Oui, c'est moi. A huit heures nous allons prendre le petit déjeuner chez Marie. Tu te souviens, oui?" (Yes, it's me. At eight we will have breakfast at Marie's place. You remember, right?)

"Oui, je me souviens. A huit heures, Philip." (Yes, I remember. At eight, Philip.)

"Nathalie!"

"Oui?" (Yeah?)

"Can we talk in English?" Nathalie almost laughed. Philip was the room-mate of one of her friends, which was how she had met him. He was an American exchange student and always felt a slight bit of unease when speaking in French, though he read and spoke both perfectly.

"Yes. Au revoir, then. And thank you for waking me; I doubt I would have gotten up if you had not called."

Nathalie got out of bed, bathed, and then dressed, grabbing her biology textbook and rushing out to catch the seven-fifty bus. She saw it was waiting and rushed to cross the street.

Suddenly she cried out. A car had not stopped-she tried to get out of its way-

She felt a pain that ripped through her whole body-and all went black.


	2. Walking in the woods

The following morning, everyone was sore when they got up.

"Blasted tree roots," said Gimli, promptly tripping over one a few minutes after they started walking again.

Legolas's quick ear caught the sound of breathing and a very faint heartbeat. "That was no root, Gimli." He went back and all three looked upon a very slender, and very young, woman. They could see right away that her leather clothes were bloodsoaked, and her face twisted slightly in pain. She was, however, utterly unconscious.

"In the name of Imladris," said Aragorn. He knelt and pushed back her raven hair. "She is human."

"What can she be doing here?" asked Gimli, when suddenly something on the girl's possession began to buzz. Very loudly.

"She has a hornet in her pocket," said Aragorn. "Take it out quickly, Legolas, or it will sting her."

Legolas reached gingerly into the girl's pocket and pulled out a small metal object, which vibrated in his hands a few more times, and then fell silent.

"What...?"

"Later-we cannot stop. Legolas, carry her. Your feet are surer than mine, and if I should fall she would be sorely hurt." Legolas nodded and swung the girl up into his arms. She did not move, but after another few minutes of walking, Legolas perceived that his chest was covered in blood.

_Fresh _blood.

"Aragorn..."

Aragorn turned and came back hurriedly. "She must be terribly wounded." Gently, they removed her jacket and stood back in disbelief. Every surface of her body was bruised or bleeding, except for her face and arms.

"How came she to lie here?"

"Perhaps she was a prisoner of the orcs, like the hobbits," said Gimli, while Aragorn took linens from his bag and bound up as much skin as he could. "In that case, if she wakes, she may even be able to tell us of them. They may have even helped her on to the place we found her-where she fell, and they took her for dead, perhaps."

"I hope it may be so-but we must look after her," said Aragorn. And so came another long day of walking, Gimli falling, and cursing.

* * *

Nathalie's dreams were full of only one thing; her home, burning slowly away to nothing. She cried out time and again.

It was night. The three had stopped for the night, and suddenly Nathalie screamed out in her sleep, and Legolas jolted awake, not knowing what had woken him-until he heard the sound again.

"Child! Wake from your dreams!" he called. His father knew the art of reaching people in their sleep, and had taught him a little.

Surely, Nathalie's eyes came slowly open, whereupon she gazed at Legolas in confusion. "Qui etes-vous? Et ou suis-je?" (Who are you? and where am I?)

"What tongue do you speak? I have never heard it before."

"Oh, you speak English." she said. "I spoke in French. But who are you, and where am I?"

"You are in the forest of Fangorn. We found you lying in the path, covered with blood. I am Legolas, son of Thranduil."

"So it was not a dream," sighed Nathalie.

"What was not a dream?"

"I was bound, hand and foot, by some strange creatures that shrieked and cursed. I had-I remember a terrible pain before that. They had with them two children, one with a terrible wound on his head, though it did not seem to pain him much. He was awake and speaking with the other boy."

"And?"

"I heard horses-many of them. I escaped into the forest with the two boys, and I fell, over, and over...at last I knew I was going to die there, so I bid them let me lie and not hinder them. They refused, but I insisted, and at last they went on. Not long after I heard them scream...so I got up...and saw a tree moving. That, no doubt, was delirium."

"What is your name, child? And from what country do you come? I have never heard your tongue, and I have journeyed all over the land."

"I am Nathalie Albert, from Nice."

"I have never heard of that country."

Panic shot through her. "You _cannot _mean to say I'm not in France. Spain perhaps? I can't be further than Switzerland, surely."

"You are in neither; we are near Rohan."

"Oh, mon Dieu!" said Nathalie. "Why?"

She pulled her blanket more tightly about her and stared into the darkness. "This is like the Lord of the Rings, isn't it?" she said with a little laugh.

At once Legolas stood, wariness in his eyes. "Of what Lord do you speak?"

"Well it always seemed obvious to me that the Lord was Sauron, though it seemed that the true evil was the One Ring itself. I had to read the books twice before I understood that."

Legolas knelt before as if to see more deeply into her eyes. "And what else do you know?"

Nathalie realized that somehow in this bizarre dream, she must be in Middle-Earth. So she decided to have a go at its world, though she knew she would be relieved to wake up. _At least if I get killed in a battle or something I will wake up at home with Phil and Marie banging on the door._

"Everything," she said with a shrug. "I know what you are doing here. You seek the hobbits Merry and Pippin. I can tell you what has happened to them, too, but I won't."

"Are you an ally of the orcs?"

"Look at this," said Nathalie, rolling up her leather leggings to show cruel rope scars on her ankles.

"How old are you, child?"

"I am seventeen," she said, shivering a little.

"Younger than the hobbits even."

"Yes."

"And why will you not tell me where they are?"

"Because they have now to play a part in a very different course of action. They are safe, and do not worry, but your path falls toward Rohan, while they...er, won't be there."

"You are strange indeed," said Legolas. "A human girl, here in Fangorn. How, then, did you come here?"

Nathalie closed her eyes. Strange, the last thing she remembered was her morning bath and running to catch the-

Oh. Mon. Dieu.

"I died," she said softly. "I died in my own world, Legolas, which is why I am here and not there."

Which was when she realized in full what she had just said.

And crumpled to the ground.

* * *

When she awoke she could feel herself being gently carried by strong arms. She opened her eyes only to close them again. There was something about Legoas's brilliant blue eyes which had the effect of very strong sunshine.

"So, you are awake again, small one."

"Please, put me down, I can walk."

"You shall not be allowed to walk. We will reach Rohan and leave you there to be healed-child, have you even _seen _your injuries?"

Nathalie gulped. "Er, I do not think I want to."

"So I thought. Human women are slightly squeamish."

"I generally faint at the sight of blood," she admitted. "I don't know why. Some people just do. It just started happening two years ago."

"Will your family not be searching for you?"

"My friends Phil and Marie will be. I was supposed to have breakfast with them, but the accident happened while I was crossing the street."

Legolas was not listening, but looking at her wrists, where there were several deep parallel scars.

"Who has chained you like this?" he said, lifting one hand. "Humans treat their children like this?"

"My family is dead, and those are knife scars." If anything, Legolas looked more shocked.

"And may I ask who dared to treat you this way?"

"It was my own hand which wielded the knife."

"But-I do not understand. Why would you ever, ever hurt yourself?" Legolas looked bemused. Mortals truly were strange.

"I was trying to...ah, never mind, it is unimportant."

"Do not do that again. You could bleed to death, and a mortal life seems like a moment to us, though we know how precious it truly is."

"That was what I was trying to do," said Nathalie softly.

"Legolas!" came a voice from behind them. It was Aragorn. "Legolas, this girl has had some terrible grief which made her desperate enough to take her own life. You will only bring up memories by speaking about it."

* * *

_Nice, France. Le 6 Juin, deux-mille quatorze. _

"It's my fault," sobbed Philip.

"It's not," comforted Marie, whose tears were flowing down her face as freely. "It was that driver's fault."

"And now Nat is-is-"

"Oh, Phil," cried Marie. "Don't even say it! Oh, mon Dieu! Nathalie!"

"I hope she has found her parents," said Philip, "I hope she has."

"She has," said Marie, looking over at a photograph of her and Nathalie as children, soaring high into the air, with Nathalie's mother laughing with her own in the background.

"I think she will be happy now."

"Moi aussi, Phil." She closed her eyes and caught sight once more of her friend's mangled body, which she had been asked to identify. "Moi aussi."

* * *

Mon dieu-my God

Moi Aussi-me too


	3. In which a LOT of things take place

**Ahem, I am updating like a whirlwind. So what do you think of Nathalie? Legolas? Her friends? Review review?**

**Okay, here goes for Chapter Three! By the way, this scene is after meeting Gandalf, everyone is riding to Rohan.**

* * *

Nathalie slept a great deal on horseback. She rode with Gandalf on Shadowfax, who would not drop her as easily as the other two horses might.

"So, I still have not heard the story of the human child," said Gandalf.

"She is from a country I have never seen, speaks a language I have never heard, does not know where she is, and has a strange metal box in her pocket which makes noise and glows."

Gandalf laughed.

"And that is all that you know?"

"I know a little more than that," said Legolas. "I know that she died in her own country, or thinks she did, before appearing in Fangorn. "

"The only explanation for that would be her being an Istar."

The jaws of the other three dropped.

"But-I thought there were only five of you," said Aragorn. "You, Saruman, Radagast, and the Blue Wizards."

"It seems you are wrong," said Gandalf. "Only the Istari have that ability. I, too, thought that, but it seems that my belief is disproved."

"Now that is something indeed," said Legolas. "If she dies here, where will she take shape again?"

"In her own world, probably," said Gandalf.

* * *

_BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. BBBBBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ._

Nathalie awoke to find that her cell phone was ringing. How odd, she thought. But then again, it was only a dream.

"Allo?" she whispered, so as not to wake the others.

"Nathalie?"

"Philip?"

"Oh, my God! How are you talking to me, you're dead!"

"Am I dead, Phil?"

"Oui, tu es mort." (Yes, you are dead.)

"It was a car accident. You will never guess where I am."

"Middle Earth, no doubt?" came Phil's skeptical voice.

"Yes, and I need you to send me an e-text of all three books. DO NOT scan your copy, it's yellow and the print is too small."

"That will be expensive, Nat."

"I will pay you back when I get home."

"You _will _get home, won't you, Nat?"

"I promise I will."

* * *

The next morning, they reached Rohan.

* * *

I am going to skip the whole part with Saruman, all right? Hope you don't mind. I'm going to Nathalie meeting Eowyn.

* * *

In the Chamber of Healing, Nathalie awaited someone to help her with her wounds, and busily reading the Lord of the Rings on her smartphone while she waited. When she heard soft footsteps coming along, she hid the phone under her pillow, and saw a breathtakingly beautiful young woman, about five or six years older than she was, entering the room.

"Lady Eowyn," said Nathalie, inclining her head.

"Lady Nathalie," said Eowyn. "Forgive me, but I do not know how you know my name."

"I have heard of you even from my homeland."

"The Ranger said that you were an Istari, Lady Nathalie," said Eowyn in awe. "Is that true?"

"Er...I'm not exactly sure about that," floundered Nathalie.

"But he says you came back to life unchanged after death in your world. How else could you have done so?"

"I suppose I am an Istari then," laughed Nathalie.

"And what is your color? Gandalf is grey, saruman white..."

"Golden." said Nathalie instantly. After all, it was a nice color.

"Nathalie the Golden..." said Eowyn. "There is no other woman Istari. How old are you? You must think me a mere child."

"I am younger than you, Eowyn," said Nathalie with a smile. "I was seventeen in my old life and I'm still seventeen now. It's only been three or four days since I woke in Middle-Earth."

"Why, you are young indeed! Now, let us see to your wounds." She gasped as Nathalie removed her jacket. "What happened?"

"It is a very, very long story, Eowyn," said Nathalie.

Eowyn went systematically to work, bathing each hurt and bandaging it in fresh linen. When she was finished, she sent Nathalie's old clothes to be washed and attired her in a long blue gown which matched her eyes.

"You and the elf have identical eyes. Did you ever know that?" she asked.

"No, I didn't. I was asleep, most of the time," she said sheepishly.

"Well, you need all the rest you can get. You are healing well; if you were in the home of the elves it would be even better, but as that is not to be for now..."

"Ah well, Rohan is beautiful enough for me," and Nathalie's eyes were eager. "Do you think I could ride?"

"Why, everybody must ride. You will learn if you do not know how," promised Eowyn.

Nathalie found, to her surprise, that she could walk quite easily. She followed Eowyn out of the room while Eowyn pointed out the different rooms in the citadel. When she saw a fountain in a courtyard, she rushed toward it, longing to let her hands flow through the water, and feel it on her face. It seemed that someone else had also come for that very purpose.

"Legolas!"

"Nathalie!"

"How did I know?" said the two in unison, and then burst out laughing.

"Well, at last I can properly see you all," said Nathalie, seeing Gimli, Aragorn, and Gandalf behind Legolas. "It was so dark in that forest."

"I know," said Gimli gruffly. "Trees are not like dwarves, we do not mix at all. Legolas here is insane about them."

* * *

It was decided that Rohan would have one night of merry-making before leaving for Helm's Deep. The king Theoden was still grief-stricken at Theodred's death and declined to come. Nathalie would have, as well, but Eowyn would not let her.

"How will I enjoy myself if you do not come? A rare maiden comes along who is as tomboyish as I, and she refuses to come?"

"Oh, Eowyn, I don't think I am strong enough for danc-"

"Yes you are. I can see it in the way you walk. Just be there, Nathalie."

So Nathalie had accepted, and she and Eowyn had arrived late. When they did, the festivities were in full swing. Legolas and Aragorn were sitting against a wall. Legolas had his eyes open and seemed to be moving his lips silently, while Aragorn's eyes were closed and he pressed a silver amulet on a chain to his lips.

"Let us go and cheer those lords over there," said Eowyn. "Even Gimli has found himself a dancing-partner."

Nathalie went willingly. When Aragorn and Legolas saw the two girls before them, they smiled in spite of themselves.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" asked Legolas.

"Would you care to dance?"

"Very much," said Aragorn. He and Eowyn went off to perform a classic Rohan-style jig.

"Will you come?" asked Legolas to Nathalie.

"Yes, I will," she said.

They danced, it seemed for hours. And both, when they went to their respective rooms, seemed to think of only one thing.

* * *

_I am sorry, my son. But it was your own choice._

_There must be some way, Father! Please, you must know something._

_She is not strong enough. I can see that her vitality declines with every passing day, Legolas. It will be a miracle if she can last until it is done, but she cannot live after. Not after pouring so much of her own strength away as she is doing every moment, every second._

_This, then, is the only hope you can give me._

_No, it was the only hope you gave yourself the moment you set eyes on her. You were her destiny, and even I can see that. But you were also her doom._

* * *

Legolas awoke in the dark, breathing hard. His heart was beating more quickly than it had ever done in his life; he had had a dream in which his father was telling him that there was no hope for someone's life. He wondered who it could be; until a soft sound from outside startled him. He heard the slither of a long robe on the marble floor, heard a quiet breath and a soft sigh. He got up to see the girl Nathalie walking in the courtyard outside. He was about to return when he heard her say,

"Oui, je t'aime bien, Marie. Je vais venir. Oui, je dis la verite! C'est tres simple!" (Yes, I love you, Marie. I will come. Yes, I'm telling the truth! It's very simple!"

She was silent for a little longer, and nodded her head, and then said, "Je sais, mais...j'ai une probleme avec ca." (I know, but...I've got a problem with that."

Again, silence.

"La probleme? Pour ca, Marie, je dois mourir. Encore. Et je ne sais pas comment je dois le faire." (The problem? For that, Marie, I have to die. Again. And I don't know how I should do it.)

"Au revoir." Nathalie switched off her phone and sighed.

"What _is _that strange metal box you have?" asked Legolas, unable to contain himself any longer.

"It lets me speak to my friends." said Nathalie. "In my home."

"Oh," said Legolas. Then: "Do you miss it?"

"Yes, I miss it dearly," she said. "I miss Philip and Anne and Marie. I miss my parents, though they are dead. I miss my teachers, and I miss my cat."

"Your cat?"

She laughed through the beginnings of her tears. "My cat, yes. Phil named him Strider."

"Strider?"

"Yes, he knows of you too. He wanted me to name him Aragorn, but that wasn't a good name for a cat. Then while I was away he began calling the cat Strider, and now it won't answer to anything else."

"How strange it is that they know so much of us there, and we know nothing of them here. Would you care to tell me how this is?"

"There was once a man who saw in his dreams everything you did-who knew all the history of Middle-Earth," said Nathalie, unsure how to phrase it. "And he wrote it down."

"I see."

The two sat in silence for several minutes.

"Legolas?"

"Yes?"

"Did you have a strange dream tonight?"

"Yes, I did-how did you know?"

"Nothing. I was only asking." Nathalie fidgeted with her sash. "I heard you in my dreams, that is all."

"And...what did I say?"

"You were asking someone if there was no hope for a woman's life," said Nathalie, remembering her dream only vaguely. "And that someone told you there was no hope from the moment you saw her."

Legolas blanched and rose swiftly.

"I dreamed exactly the same," he whispered.

"Who is she?" asked Nathalie with a smile. "The woman?"

"There is none," said Legolas. "That was one of the reasons the dream surprised me a great deal-as if it was warning me of something that has yet to come to pass."

"It was indeed a strange dream," said Nathalie.

"Good night, Nathalie." said Legolas. "I hope that you sleep well."

Nathalie smiled.

"Bonsoir, Legolas."

When Nathalie went back to her room, her spine stiffened at once. It was as if there was some presence in it, an evil presence. She went to the window and saw only a black shape moving. She leaned out to look, and at once reeled back, an arrow in her chest.

* * *

Legolas had only just re-entered his own room when he heard something falling. He at once rushed back into the courtyard and at once seven words came back to him.

"_I generally faint at the sight of blood."_

Why were those words in his mind now?

_At least I'm going to see Phil and Marie again. _The voice echoed in his mind. Words he had never heard spoken.

Nathalie.

He went down the hallway and saw an open door, and then looked at the horrific sight-Nathalie fallen on the floor, an arrow protruding from her nightgown. There was an orc in the room, armed with a bow and a sword. He was, it seemed, quietly scouring the room for valuables.

He looked up and saw Legolas.

Quickly, Legolas leapt across the room and choked the orc with his bare hands, before falling on his knees at Nathalie's side.

"Nathalie, can you hear me?"

She was still and pale, blood flowing from the wound and into Legolas's knees.

He picked her up in his arms and ran with all his might to the house of healing.


	4. In Dreams

It was not long before healers had been roused and all of them were working over Nathalie. The arrow had been pulled out, but it had struck her heart, piercing through the outer wall.

"Do not worry yourself so, my friend," said Gandalf to Legolas as they both sat cross-legged outside her room. "The healers of Rohan are accomplished."

"I was thinking-would the fellowship need me a great deal?"

"Yes, it would. Do not tell me-"

"Yes, I am telling you. I want to heal her surely."

"You do know that the only way would be to take her wound upon yourself?"

"I know. Oh, yes, I know very well. But I am four thousand years old, Gandalf. I have lived my life. Whereas the girl is only seventeen, a child among men even." Legolas shut his eyes. "That is the reason why I feel such a fool."

"We are all human, Legolas," said Gandalf gently. "What will be will be. If she is your destiny, follow it. Do this if you must; you would heal much more quickly than Nathalie could ever heal. She is from a world where poison fills the air and water, where men no longer die of their age but of a sickening, lingering disease which consumes them. Where women have lost their gentleness and tenderness, where some children see far too much hardship and some not nearly enough. She is from a dying world, and her parents died. That is the reason those marks upon her wrist are there."

"You think me foolish, do you not?"

"No, I do not. There is a kinship of soul between the both of you, and if you do not grasp it now, it will fade. Do you remember what I said when we were riding to Rohan?"

"That when she died her spirit would return to her old world and take shape there."

"Yes. Do not fear the fate of Aragorn, Legolas. For you will not have it. Istari never die, as you too well know."

"I am not sure she is an Istari. The Istari were created long ago, and came over the Sea; whereas she was born seventeen years ago in her other world."

"Yes, but she is immortal. And Legolas, if you do not guard her here-you will lose her forever. You cannot gain entry to that place, you know."

"I fear just that."

"And do not be so sure about the Istari," said Gandalf. "The time before my coming is a distant dream and I seem, in dreams, to recall a sixth Istari, a woman. One who was much younger than the others. I believe something about the magic binding middle-earth refused to let her pass its shores."

"Do you think I am her destiny?"

"I do not want you to be her doom."

* * *

Nathalie awoke later that day, only to find Legolas staring down at her. Her forehead was slightly damp.

"Oh," she said pleasantly. "It is you again."

"Yes, it is me," he said in a tone she had never heard him use.

"Why do I keep on waking up unconscious and find your eyes to be the first thing I see?"

"Well, let us say that there is merely a happy coincidence," said Legolas. "Are you sure that you, er, are all right to get up?"

For Nathalie had sat up.

"Legolas...I have to tell you something."

With that she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

He looked interested. "Ah, the strange little box which lets you speak with your friends."

"Yes. It can also store books on it."

"In _that._"

"Yes, in that. Now, I am going to give you something to read-when you finish the page just swipe a finger across the box."

"All right."

Nathalie opened the file Philip had sent her. She opened it to half-way through the Lord of the Rnigs, where Frodo arrives in Rivendell. Then she lay down and returned to sleep. She slept for many long hours, and and did not see the shocked epressions on Legolas's face as he read on, and on, and on.

"Legolas?"

He looked around.

"Aragorn, come and look at this."

And so for the next seven hours, the man and the elf sat hunched over the smartphone, and cried out in disappointment when the phone's charge was depleted and the screen went black.

"At least we know now how she knows everything," said Aragorn. "But I do not understand. The box lost its energy when we were reading about Merry meeting that rider, the young one."

"Yes..."

"But she is not in this book in any way, Legolas."

"Yes."

"This means only one thing. Either she will not affect this story at all-or she is going to die before its end."

"Oh, by the Valar, I shall never let that happen." Legolas grasped Nathalie's hand and pressed it to his lips.

"Legolas, you know what fate await you if you fall in love with a mortal."

"It shall not come for me-if she cares for me."


	5. In which a LOT more things take place

"Nathalie?"

It was the next day. "Yes, Legolas?"

"What do you feel for me?"

She thought. She had known the character of Legolas ever since she was eleven; and, to be honest, she had loved him since then.

"If I say I love you, please do not think me brash. I have known you for much longer than you have-"

But the last of her answer was lost, for the lips that were saying it were suddenly pressed upon in a kiss.

* * *

"Legolas?"

"Nathalie, my love."

"Have you ever-ever loved anybody before?"

"No."

"In four thousand years?"

"No, I have loved no one, ma cherie."

Nathalie started. "You spoke in my language."

"I did?" Legolas seemed surprised.

"You just called me 'my darling' in French."

"Then I shall with pleasure repeat it again and again."

"Do you mean to marry me?"

Legolas looked slightly wounded. "How could I ever imagine _not_? The first time an elf kisses an elf-maid, they are considered to be betrothed, forever."

"Or unless one marries someone else."

"Yes, there is that. But you will, will you not, be my wife?"

"Yes, I will."

"I was just thinking...Nathalie, Queen of Mirkwood."

"I rather feel I am too young for this," laughed Nathalie.

"You are not," said Legolas. "I know you are not."

"Why?"

"Gandalf remembers you before he and the others came to Middle-Earth."

Nathalie at once remembered a dream she had often had, thoughout her life. She was standing on a boat, watching five others depart. But she could go no further, so she turned, and sailed away into the mist.

"Legolas-Legolas, if I am a _true _Istari-like Gandalf and Saruman-what happened to me? What happened when I returned over the sea? Where did I go? How long was I there? And why am I here _now_?"

"We may never know that, Nathalie," said Legolas soberly. "Do you want us to be married this very day?"

She flung herself into his arms. Legolas had held her many times like his before, but his heart had never beat so quickly, and it was at that very moment that he realized he could hear her thoughts.

Which meant that they were, truly, the destiny of the other.

And at that moment neither considered their doom.


	6. Namarie and Nathalie

Nathalie found, to her astonishment, that some vestiges of her cell phone battery were still there. At once she clicked it on and wrote a text message to Phil.

_Phil. I am sorry I could not keep my promise, but I am alive and well, and I will not be returning. Thank you so for sending me the e-text, I shall always remember it. You may never hear from me again. In fact that is what will most likely happen. Tell Marie and Anne that I'm very much alive, and very happy where I am. Get my room key from Anne when she comes back and take whatever money you want for the book. I hide it under Anne's piano, though first you will have to convince Anne to let you lift it. Show this message to Marie and Anne both, mon ami. I am not returning because I am married now. And no, not some random person I just met. Someone I have known since I was a child._

_ Je t'aime, _

_ Nathalie Albert Greenleaf._

She hit the pink _Envoyer _button and then sighed. She was, at last, at peace with the world. Her last farewell had been sent to her own world, even though she still didn't know how her calling and texting still worked.

"Nathalie?"

It was Legolas.

"Why, hello, sir," she said with a smile.

"What does it mean?" he said. "Je t'aime."

"It is French for 'I love you.' And before you ask, no, Phil is nothing more than a brother to me." He came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his chin in her hair.

"I never thought he was, Nathalie. You are my wife now, and I could never doubt you."

"You know we are leaving for the Deep tomorrow," sighed Nathalie, freeing herself from his embrace and turning to meet his eyes. "If you die, what is to become of me? Promise me you will take care."

"It was not in the book. I will not die."

"But I was not in it, and yet I am here."

"Never say that, Nathalie. Do not remind me of the book again-please. I too fear that as your personage has been left out of those annals entirely foreshadows an unfortunate happening."

"Don't fear." said Nathalie. "Do anything, but never fear."

* * *

The road to Helm's Deep was an amusing one. Legolas and Nathalie walked with Aragorn, Eowyn, and Gimli.

"I suppose that there will be children, now that you are married?" Eowyn asked while the others were guffawing behind them.

"Probably," said Nathalie. "But compared to him, I still feel like such a child myself. I doubt I am ready to be a mother."

Suddenly foreboding flew through her. She was the woman from Legolas's dreams. It made only too much sense now. She was going to die. And Legolas was not going to be able to save her. And the love between them was going to cause her death.

"Typical Romeo and Juliet," she said crossly. "I'm getting too morbid."

"Typical-what, sorry?" asked Eowyn.

"Oh, I forgot you didn't know. In my world, we have a tale of a pair of lovers called Romeo and Juliet. They were terribly in love, but their families hated each other fiercely. When Juliet's father tried to marry her to a man she did not love, she was already secretly married to Romeo. So she drugged herself, and made it look as if she were dead. She was carried to her family monument, but Romeo learned of her apparent death and killed himself by her in despair. When she awoke, she took his dagger and stabbed herself through the heart. And when the bodies were brought before their parents...they lay down their quarrel, though it had taken two young lives to do it. Lovers that are doomed we called 'star-crossed' lovers."

"And do you think Legolas and you are such?" said Eowyn, who had sensed Nathalie's apprehension.

"I cannot help but feel _here_-" Nathalie put her fingers to her heart, "that we are, Eowyn. I can see that I am going to die, and soon too. It is just something in me that seems to be spelling my death, day by day, bringing me closer to it. It's almost like a presence hanging over me, pervading me everywhere."

"You are having doubts about your wedding," said Eowyn. "Am I right, Golden One?"

"Eowyn, I don't want to die." She shook back her sleeves and bared the long scars on her arms. "There was a time when I tried to die, many times. But I have this feeling-oh, I don't know-that if I die, someone else will die with me." She turned her head back to Legolas, who she did not know had been listening all along. "I love Legolas with all my being, as if he and I are no different. Middle-Earth has made me want to live, you know." She gave a laugh which spoke only of sadness.

"You are growing up, Nathalie. Perhaps that is all."

"I am not growing up, Eowyn, I did that long ago. I'm dying. I don't have much time left here."

"Do not-do not think so," cried Eowyn, grasping Nathalie's hands. "Are you ill? Your eyes seem brighter than usual, are you feverish?"

"No. I am all right, Eowyn. Just-just ignore everything I've said so far."

* * *

But Legolas could not cast from his mind the words of Nathalie. As he listened to her quiet breathing against his chest, he half-expected it to stop at any moment. He tried, as he lay, to memorize exactly the beating of her heart. He saw a shadow falling and got up.

"Aragorn."

"Legolas, I want to ask you honestly. What in the name of heaven is the matter with her?"

"I wish I knew," he said sadly, looking at the sleeping Nathalie on the grass. "It has been a month since Gimli tripped over her feet in Fangorn. Yet I feel as if I know her, have known her, always will. She looks so fragile, Aragorn...I fear what she says is true."

"What is true?"

"If she is truly the Istari who never could cross into Middle-Earth," said Legolas, "then she is right, Her time here _is _going to be short-terribly so. I feel as if Arwen is lucky, Aragorn. For you at least are one of the Dunedain, while Nathalie...Nathalie was banished from this land from the beginning."

"I seem to recall something of her name, something I read in a book," said Aragorn. "It was from her name that Namarie was derived."

"Why?"

"Because the first word spoken in this land was Namarie, her name, as they bid her goodbye. Which is how Namarie, today, means goodbye. And, Legolas, there was another thing...if you speak her name the Elvish way, and not how she says it-her name means 'nevermore.'"

"Oh!" cried Legolas. "Namarie, goodbye-her first name. Nathalie, her name now, nevermore. She was right."

"Do not lose hope. And never fear," said Aragorn, gripping Legolas's hands and looking at Nathalie sleeping. "Remember what she said to you, Legolas. Do anything, but never fear."

With that, Aragorn walked away, leaving Legolas to his musings. He dropped on his knees and lifted Nathalie into his arms.

"I will try, Nathalie," he vowed, beginning to shake with sobs. "I will do anything for you, die, live, run myself through the heart for you. But I will do the one thing you want of me-I will not fear for you." And as soon as the words left his lips, Legolas knew that to be a promise that he could never keep.


	7. She knew it would come

SKIP AGAIN! EOWYN AND NATHALIE ARE IN THE CAVERNS, HELMS DEEP BATTLE GOING ON ABOVE, ETCETERA, ETCETERA!

* * *

"Do not fear for your husband," said Eowyn softly from beside her. "He is a strong man-elf, I should say."

"I do not fear only for him." Nathalie bent her head over her knees and sighed.

"You fear for the others you have come to know."

"Yes. I fear for them."

* * *

Legolas was quickly letting loose ever arrow he had. Behind him he suddenly heard a faint whistle-and knew that the arrow was meant for him. He felt it smite his back and pierce deep into his flesh, and all of a sudden the pain was gone. Not pausing to puzzle at his good fortune, he continued on.

* * *

And SKIP AGAIN! I HATE WRITING BATTLE SCENES! Wow, it felt really good to get THAT out. So, Legolas is going back to the caves...let's see where this goes.

* * *

Legolas ran as quickly as he could into the caves, where he was met with the sound of weeping-of a familiar voice.

"Nathalie? Nathalie, is that you? I am here, safe!"

A figure came into view and he saw at first glance that it was Eowyn.

"Where is she?" he asked. "Where is my Nathalie?"

Wordlessly, with tearstained eyes, she led him to the back of the caves, where he looked upon a still body. It did not take long for him to realize that the beautiful life that had lived within it was gone.

"How?"

"An arrow pierced straight through her body. I do not know from whence it came, but I had barely the time to hear her cry out-and she was gone."

Legolas was numb. He bent over Nathalie's body, willing for her eyes to open, her lips to smile. And then he remembered the vanished arrow, and knew that Nathalie had taken his wound upon herself. He did not stop to think that she should not have been able to do so, but merely bathed her raven hair in his tears, wondering how an elf like him should be allowed to live for so long, but a mortal like her be snatched from this world at seventeen.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you, my Nathalie. Do not leave me. Anything but that."

* * *

Phil, Marie, and Anne were sitting in Marie's living room. They had just had a very difficult biology examination.

"And do you remember question seventy-nine? I _know _that was wrong." said Philip.

"Oui, je me souviens (Yeah, I remember)." said Anne, whose thoughts often strayed back to Nathalie. After she had returned from having the flu and had been told by a tearful Marie and Philip that Nathalie was dead, she had not believed it. And when Philip had shown them her text messages and made them listen to one recorded call, she still didn't believe Nathalie was alive.

At once there was a thump from upstairs. The two girls and the boy fell silent and looked up at the ceiling.

"Il y a quelque chose en haut," whispered Marie. (There's something upstairs.)

"Oui, je sais, mais..qu'est-ce que c'est?" (Yes but what is it?)

"I am going up to see." said Phil, bravely stomping up the stairs and then screaming so loudly that the girls thought there must be an army of burglars there, at least.

When they got to Marie's bedroom, they saw Philip holding the doorknob for support and looking at the still body of...Nathalie.

"OH MON DIEUUUUUUU!" shrieked Anne, falling on her knees. "Nathalie, ma cherie, leve-toi, leve-toi! S'il te plait, Nathalie! leve-toi!" (Nathalie, dear, get up, get up! Please, Nathalie, get up!)

"Phil-telephone a un hopital," said Marie, throwing her cordless phone at him. (Phil, call a hospital.)


	8. One of Elven Blood

Marie, Phil, and Anne were sitting anxiously outside a hospital room when a white-coated doctor stepped out. Phil was the first. "What happened to her?"

"Il ne parle pas francais?" he said to the girls. (He doesn't speak French?)

"Oui, il parle francais...mais il est un eleve americain. La fille la-bas est une amie de nous...et nous avons peur pour elle." (Yes, he speaks French but he's an american student. The girl over there is a friend of ours...we are afraid for her.)

"S'il vous plait, parle anglais pour moi," begged Phil. (Please speak English for me.)

"All right." said the doctor. "We have to know English, these days. Your friend has been stabbed, I believe. The wound was a bad one, but she will recover."

"Oh, thank God," cried Philip.

* * *

Legolas had not spoken for three days. They had persuaded him to allow Nathalie's body to be laid to rest, be felt as if he were dead with her. Aragorn had been right. She had played no part-and she had died.

And with her had died his heart.

"My friend." He heard a gentle voice behind him and some sliver in his heart melted. "Gandalf."

"My heart is sore for you, Legolas. But I foresaw it." He sighed. "Though it would not have changed anything if I had spoken."

"You! You foresaw her death? You knew that she was going to die?"

"All my memories of the Namarie I knew have come back," said Gandalf. "She knew she could never enter Middle Earth and remain here until she had within her elven blood."

"I see. And how long before that comes to pass, Gandalf?" He raised his eyes to meet Gandalf's, and Gandalf was shocked by how broken they now were. "I was her destiny, and her doom."

"It may come sooner than you think. For Nathalie, where she is in her own world, has elven blood in her now, at this very moment."

"So she will return...and how does she have elven blood?"

"Think on that, Legolas...you will know in the end."

Legolas remained deep in thought until the answer hit him. He clapped his hands to his mouth.

"GANDALF!" he yelled.

"She is coming back, Legolas! Only wait."

* * *

Nathalie was home.

She was sitting up on a chair, trying to get through the work she had missed. She had been astonished to discover that she had only been gone three days in this world. The wound was neatly bandaged, Marie was staying over to take care of her and Anne (still a little weak from the flu) and Nathalie felt terribly grateful for Marie, who had been there whenever she had needed her, ever since they were little.

And she sighed.

Suddenly she looked across and saw the date on a calendar hanging at her desk; 16 Juin.

_How long did I spend in Middle-Earth?_

The answer and its consequences immediately hit her. She got up out of her chair and walked distractedly around. Anything, anything but that...

* * *

Legolas stood with Gandalf before the palantir. "So she knows now?"

"Yes, she knows-and she is distraught." They watched Nathalie fall to her knees and cry out, then rush upstairs. When she came down again, Marie was with her. They heard Nathalie jabber off a few sentences in her native tongue and catch hold of her friend's hand, imploring something, though neither understood what it was. Marie paled but nodded, took her coat, and was gone. Nathalie wandered distractedly about the room, and then she rushed into the kitchen. The palantir seemed to return to her there, and they watched her fling spoons, knives, and forks this way and that and finally she lit upon a large and sharp butcher knife.

At this Gandalf nearly dropped the palantir. "Oh Valar! No! Do not do it, Nathalie!"

Legolas pressed his nose to the glass. "Gandalf, she is doing something she has done before. She must not return by loss of blood-she must not."

"There is only one way, Legolas. Go to her!"

Legolas felt an almighty push, and then all was black and he knew no more.

* * *

"Nathalie."

"It is only a dream," she sighed. "I don't want to wake up!"

"Nathalie, please, my love, you are not dreaming."

She opened her eyes and focused on-Legolas?

"You are not-oh, Legolas!" The two strained deeper into the other's embrace. Nathalie found that her hands were resting upon her stomach. Legolas was covering them with his own.

"You know..." she said. "how did you?"

"I ought to have known the moment you died. If there was not elven blood in you it could never have happened. But it will allow you passage back into Middle-Earth, Nathalie. You need never die again."

At once the door burst open and the two heard Marie's footsteps. "J'ai le chose, Nathalie!"

"Je suis dans la cuisine, Marie." (I'm in the kitchen.)

"And who is this?" said Marie, shocked into speaking English.

"This is my husband, Legolas Greenleaf."

"I think," said Marie, "that just to, you know..."

"Of course," said Nathalie. She took Marie's parcel and hurried upstairs with it.

"Er...what has she gone to do?" asked Legolas.

"Do you want to hear about Nat when she was little?" asked Marie quickly.

"Yes, please."

So it passed that when Nathalie returned downstairs, she found Marie and Legolas in stitches of laughter at the story Marie was telling.

Her face was pale, collected, and decided.

"Oui, Marie. Et merci. Mais...je dois partir."

"I know," sighed Marie, moving over to her friend and hugging her. "We've got eighteen years of life to our names, Nathalie. You will forever be my dearest friend. Go. But come back sometime."

"I will," she said, wondering how long it would be before she was in Marie's embrace again.

"Au revoir," said Marie. "Now you have to come back."


	9. At last :D

Nathalie looked up at the cool green arches in wonder.

"Legolas, it is as different from Fangorn as can be."

"I know. Now, should I introduce you with your title?"

"Title?" asked Nathalie, confused. It had been a month since she and Legolas returned to Middle-Earth, and Nathalie was beginning to feel some of the symptoms of her condition.

"Her Highness Princess Nathalie, of course," he said quietly. "Don't you know you are a Princess?"

"I-I never thought of it. It sounds like games Marie and I played when we were young."

* * *

When at last she and Legolas alighted from their horses before the arch, Nathalie was suddenly afraid. "Legolas? Legolas, I don't know what I should do."

"You will be fine, Nathalie. Only trust me."

They walked up a flight of stairs, where the forest wall seemed to open for them. She and Legolas stood in a long hall, and saw several elves, young, old, merry, and sad. The elf sitting at the far end rushed forward to embrace his son, pausing when over Legolas's shoulder he caught a glimpse of Nathalie. "And who is this?"

"Father," said Legolas formally, "allow me to introduce you to Nathalie the Golden, the sixth Istari who was never able to alight upon Middle-Earth."

"That is indeed strange news," said Thranduil, looking at Nathalie. "One would think she has the blood of an elf."

"She does."

"Legolas! You cannot successfully hide anything from me."

"Nathalie, ma cherie," he said, holding out his hand. She took it and stepped up to greet Thranduil, who recognized at once the strange glow about her lips and cheeks and then shot Legolas a Look. "let me introduce you to my Father, King Thranduil of Mirkwood. Now, Father, you may want to be seated when you hear this."

"I'm not so old that I cannot take this news, Legolas. I already know it, at any rate."

"Well, let me introduce you either way. Father, this is Nathalie Albert Greenleaf, Princess of Mirkwood, and my wife."

Thranduil stood as if turned to stone. "I should have known." Then he spoke to Nathalie. "My daughter...oh, my dear, you have no idea how hard I have tried to get Legolas married. He never listened, and I said that with his pride he would only see fit to marry a woman from the stars. And I see he was right. There was no one else worthy of him."

That night, Nathalie listened to the quiet breathing of Legolas and then looked outside the window. The stars were twinkling...the same stars, she knew now, she saw from Nice with Marie. Her place was with both this world and that. Forever.

* * *

EPILOGUE

"Ah, Legolas," said Aragorn.

"Will you STOP with that?" cried Legolas.

"You have picked up some of your wife's slang."

"Oh, for heaven's-" At once another cry rung through the palace and Legolas put his head in his hands. "Why did she not let me in with her?"

"Women do not wish for their husbands to see them at their most vulnerable." said Aragorn. "Whether they be human, elf, dwarf, or hobbit, even."

Thranduil appeared at the door. Legolas started up.

"What news?"

"Good news," said Thranduil, a wide smile upon his face. "The heir to the kingdom has at last arrived."

Legolas rushed upstairs, and was met halfway by Nathalie running into his arms.

"It is a son," she said.

"And you?"

"Exhilarated."

* * *

Six years later, Legolas drew his children about him and smiled at Nathalie across the room.

"Now the story I'm going to tell you three," he said, "begins and ends with one word."

"It was bear," said Namarie.

"No, it was 'hello,' said Aramir.

"I think it was 'goodbye,'" observed Marie.

"No, you are all wrong." He grinned. "The word was a name-Nathalie."


	10. HEEHEHEHEHE

AHA! YOU SURVIVED! XD AND I AM GOING TO, AHEM, BE ANNOYING

* * *

Legolas: Why did you make Nathalie get hit by a bus?

Me: Heavens! It wasn't a bus, it was a car.

Legolas: Both are bellowing monsters. She must have been terrified!

Aragorn: WHAT IS A BUS?

Me: Legolas, take him outside.

Legolas: I won't.

Arwen: I've ridden in a bus.

Me, Legolas, Aragorn: ...? YOU RODE IN A BUS?

Arwen: When I got transported to your world. Did you forget ALREADY Aragorn?

Aragorn: You never told me that...

Arwen: You just were not listening.

Nathalie: GUYS! Enough with the yelling or I'm going to make you take care of Aramir.

Me: You wouldn't! Nathalie please! I'm only twenty-two! I deserve to live!

Nathalie: I'm three years younger than you but I never have any problems with him.

Me: Well, you wouldn't, you're his mother.

Legolas: Hand him over to me, cherie, if you are tired.

Nathalie: Here you go.

Aramir: Aunty.

Me: ? ARWEN DID HE JUST SAY AUNTY?

Legolas: I think he means you. What do you think, Nathalie? Nathalie? _Nathalie. _

Nathalie: Snore.

Aragorn: Oh well. I tried.

Me: What did you try?

Aragorn: Nothing.

Legolas: ARAGORN OF GONDOR TELL ME RIGHT NOW.

Aragorn: I put athelas in her food.

...

Legolas: You didn't.

Arwen: You didn't.

Me: Why?! What is wrong with that?

* * *

WELL FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THAT WITHIN THE WEEK. THE SEQUEL WILL BE CALLED "Say Goodbye Never More." Hah, hope you enjoy it. PLEASE REVIEW! I only got one reviewer. Sob. If you review I will smile :)

Thanks legolas-jj. The next one's for you, mellon-nim! Idk if I spelled that right but whatever. XD


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